Very interesting review Loyd. Despite my earlier rant at Fenix and their website stock not being up to date, I did hold on and wait for the HM65RT to come back in stock and bought one. I really like it but only used on road so far.
It's definitely worth checking out come winter time. Both the headtorches I've tested and reviewed from Fenix have really impressed me 👌 Thanks for watching and supporting the channel 🙏
Just brought the HL 18RT loved it, light and comfy but I didn’t think it was bright enough when running trails, so returned for HM 65 RT, which cost more but hopefully the last lamp I need to buy. Great review (as always!).
Wasn't bright enough! 🤔 I personally think the output of the HL18R-T is pretty bright Micheal. Obviously it depends what conditions you're running in but I think it's bright enough for most situations. All I can say is if you want brightness the HM65R-T will blow your mind 🤯 Thanks for watching and I hope the HM65R-T works well for you 🙏
Nice one Lloyd. Ive only been running for just under a year but I've already learnt the hard way that buying cheap usually means buying twice and is a false economy really. Now I try and future proof my purchases as much as possible and looks for features I will probably use in the future even if I don't need them right now. Therefore I would deffo go for the more expensive model when the time comes for me to need a headtorch.
Glad you enjoyed the review and that's great that you've learnt that already, after a year of running 😊 I think it took me 3 or 4 years to figure that out! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏
I use petzl tikka.. Headtorch have few specs that matter, brightness matters for a couple of months at autumn... When there's snowy trails, don't really need much brightness, 300 lumens is easily enough, maybe even 100 lumens would suffice. Stability is needed for running, some headtorches are just badly made and torch bounces if not tightened to uncomfortable tightness.. I like smaller torches so that I can keep torch in the pocket when I don't need it. My personal opinion is that running at the darkness shouldn't be like running on daylight, just enough brightness to see, not too much. Powerful torch users are irritating, they start dazzling long before actually being anywhere near.
It's a really good headtorch Gregory and it give off a nice bright light. I'd also check out the review of their HM65R-T 👍 Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏
AA or AAA would run out a so quickly, you'd have to replace the batteries ever hour! Fenix have lots of rechargeable batteries on their website - www.myfenix.co.uk/product/fenix-arb-l18-2600-18650-battery-1522 Hooe this helps 👍
@@jamstaa69 I know they're more expensive but at least you know you're getting a quality battery that's not going to blow up when it's strapped to your head! 😊
@@Run4Adventure yeah that’s true. I’ve been caught short on the mandatory kit list for the uts50, so am waiting for a new head torch and a spare battery.. as apparently petzl don’t sell the battery for my torch anymore. But have the fenix in this review on the way because in an emergency I can just load it with triple As, if the rechargeable battery fails or isn’t around anymore.. and easy cheap spares.. shame because my old petzl is still working fine, and is fully programmable. Knew I should’ve bought the back triple A case when they were about.
Hi Loyd, love the reviews. This is similar in price to the nitecore ut27 you also reviewed, which is going to be better for a mix of road and trail running?
I personally prefer the Nitecore UT27. It has a lot more features and having the two different lighting options makes it a much more versatile headtorch. Hope this helps and thanks for watching. Happy New year Phillip 🎉🎉🎉
@@Run4Adventure Happy New Year to you, too, Loyd. Time will tell if its the right decision but I ended up plumping for the Fenix HM65R-T after seeing your recent 2021 gear video.
Great review Loyd 👍 I’m tempted with the Fenix. The strap and tightening system looks comfy. My cheap Petzl is great but the strap gets sore after a while....
Thanks Ben, really glad you enjoyed the review. It's a really solid unit and the strap system is great 👍 Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's really appreciated 🙏
Yes Loyd one hundred and five pounds for a head torch does sound a lot, but we don't think twice about spending up to two hundred pounds for a pair of shoes. Hows your training going mate. The weather down in Suffolk is absolutely beautiful. I had a nice run around the woods near where i live it was gorgeous.
I totally agree Keith 😊 For what you get for £105 it's pretty good value when you compare it to the rest of the headtorch market. Training is go ok considering it wasn't that long ago since I sprained my ankle. I've managed to three 40 mile weeks and the ankle is feeling good! Hope you're fit and well and thanks for watching and supporting the channel 🙏
Both of their headtorches I've tested so far have really impressed me Roland. I'd personally still spend the extra and go for the HM65R-T, it's a brilliant headtorch 👌 Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏
@@Run4Adventure haha, i went through your channel and bought the UT27 finally. 😄 It was my companion during a 130 km ultramarathon last weekend. Worth every penny. :)
These reviews are great. Is the weight between this and the other Fenix you reviewed noticable? Weight is an important factor for me. My current lamp is 5 oz and is too heavy to be comfortable. Thanks!
Thanks, really glad you've enjoyed the reviews. Yes its definitely noticeable, the HL18R-T is a lot lighter as you'd expect it to be because it's not as bright or as powerful. Both really good headtorches, the HM65R-T has become my go to headtorch for pretty much everything 👍 Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel 🙏
I've previously used a Hope Tech Vision R2. Fantastic light, all be it a bit heavy. Lost a bit of confidence in it though after it took a dump on me during a night race. Hope we're Fantastic and fixed it immediately without quibble, but it's still in the back of my mind..
Hope make great lights but they're quite big units to wear on your head for long periods of time. That's good to hear that they sorted it out for you, always good when a company looks after its customers 😊 Thanks for watching 🙏
Thanks for this great review! I’m torn between this and the BD Revolt 350… I’m not sure I need 500 Lumens and BD has more features as well as dual mode with spot and flood together. Price is the same too. Anyone else cross shop those two lamps or have thoughts on what they chose and why?
No problem Michael, I'm glad you enjoyed the video 😊 I personally would always go for the brighter headtorch. There's quite a bit of difference between 350 and 500 lumens. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏😊
@@Run4Adventure thanks! I actually picked up a Spot 400-R on sale last week. Doesn’t allow you to swap for AAA but it’s quite a bit lighter than either of those headlamps while still being very bright.
@@michaellopour7409 I always go for a headtorch where you can use AAA as well. It makes it a lot more versatile in longer races or on long training runs 👍
I'm pretty sure it's just the strap system John. I think the light output and the burn time are very similar. Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel 🙏
Thanks for the Channel and the Very Good reviews. Very useful to me:) I’m about to purchase a headtorch. Im not a trailrunner,, But running on Road, in the countryside with no street light. So i Think the hl18r-t with is 500 lumens is enough power for me. But im worried about how the beam is spreading? I Cannot use flood and spot at the same time, so wondering if i get a narrow tunnel light, if i only use spot, and i only Can see small area lit up. Either the area right in front of me, or area Way ahead, and then the area where im stepping is Black? Hope you understand ? :-)
Hi Alex I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I haven't had any issues with the light output on the HL18R-T and I've been using it on the trails. I'm sure it would be fine for some night time road running 👍 Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel 🙏
Your reviews are consistently thorough. Really appreciated. I'm a pre-dawn 1.5 hour runner and have found the Petzl Ico Core to be perfect. Check it out. A different approach to torch design.
Thanks really glad you're enjoying the channel 👍 I know the Petzl torch well, I stock the 500 lumens version in store 😊 Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏
The body of the torch is made from plastic and aluminium to try and keep the weight down 👍 Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel it's appreciated 🙏😊
Very interesting review Loyd. Despite my earlier rant at Fenix and their website stock not being up to date, I did hold on and wait for the HM65RT to come back in stock and bought one. I really like it but only used on road so far.
Glad you thought so Ian 👍
Also glad you held out for the HM65R-T, it's a great unit! You definitely won't be disappointed.
Thanks for watching 🙏
Good review. Might need to look at this next winter when the light is minimal. 🇨🇦
Agreed. I’m reviewing the biolite 330 soon and it’s not very good at all. My old Black Diamond storm is a lot more useful. 🇨🇦 as well 👍
It's definitely worth checking out come winter time. Both the headtorches I've tested and reviewed from Fenix have really impressed me 👌
Thanks for watching and supporting the channel 🙏
Just brought the HL 18RT loved it, light and comfy but I didn’t think it was bright enough when running trails, so returned for HM 65 RT, which cost more but hopefully the last lamp I need to buy. Great review (as always!).
Wasn't bright enough! 🤔
I personally think the output of the HL18R-T is pretty bright Micheal. Obviously it depends what conditions you're running in but I think it's bright enough for most situations. All I can say is if you want brightness the HM65R-T will blow your mind 🤯
Thanks for watching and I hope the HM65R-T works well for you 🙏
Nice one Lloyd. Ive only been running for just under a year but I've already learnt the hard way that buying cheap usually means buying twice and is a false economy really. Now I try and future proof my purchases as much as possible and looks for features I will probably use in the future even if I don't need them right now. Therefore I would deffo go for the more expensive model when the time comes for me to need a headtorch.
Glad you enjoyed the review and that's great that you've learnt that already, after a year of running 😊
I think it took me 3 or 4 years to figure that out! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏
I use petzl tikka.. Headtorch have few specs that matter, brightness matters for a couple of months at autumn... When there's snowy trails, don't really need much brightness, 300 lumens is easily enough, maybe even 100 lumens would suffice. Stability is needed for running, some headtorches are just badly made and torch bounces if not tightened to uncomfortable tightness.. I like smaller torches so that I can keep torch in the pocket when I don't need it. My personal opinion is that running at the darkness shouldn't be like running on daylight, just enough brightness to see, not too much. Powerful torch users are irritating, they start dazzling long before actually being anywhere near.
More information than the promo video I saw. Beam shape is what I look for, the spot still looks very wide but better than I've seen in other units.
It's a really good headtorch Gregory and it give off a nice bright light. I'd also check out the review of their HM65R-T 👍
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏
Hello, wondering about the batteries.. the hm65rt.. I can’t seem to see the batteries to buy a spare 1865 battery? Wish they were just AA or AAA..
AA or AAA would run out a so quickly, you'd have to replace the batteries ever hour! Fenix have lots of rechargeable batteries on their website -
www.myfenix.co.uk/product/fenix-arb-l18-2600-18650-battery-1522
Hooe this helps 👍
Thanks Lloyd, yeah looks like their website is the only reliable place. That’s one expensive battery 😮
@@jamstaa69 I know they're more expensive but at least you know you're getting a quality battery that's not going to blow up when it's strapped to your head! 😊
@@Run4Adventure yeah that’s true. I’ve been caught short on the mandatory kit list for the uts50, so am waiting for a new head torch and a spare battery.. as apparently petzl don’t sell the battery for my torch anymore. But have the fenix in this review on the way because in an emergency I can just load it with triple As, if the rechargeable battery fails or isn’t around anymore.. and easy cheap spares.. shame because my old petzl is still working fine, and is fully programmable. Knew I should’ve bought the back triple A case when they were about.
I just ordered the HL18R-T, watched this, and now I just ordered the HM65R-T... I'll probably send one back, or will I?
The HM65R-T is a fab headtorch Steven. Hope you enjoy them and thanks for watching the channel 🙏😊
Hi Loyd, love the reviews. This is similar in price to the nitecore ut27 you also reviewed, which is going to be better for a mix of road and trail running?
I personally prefer the Nitecore UT27. It has a lot more features and having the two different lighting options makes it a much more versatile headtorch. Hope this helps and thanks for watching. Happy New year Phillip 🎉🎉🎉
@@Run4Adventure Happy New Year to you, too, Loyd.
Time will tell if its the right decision but I ended up plumping for the Fenix HM65R-T after seeing your recent 2021 gear video.
Great review Loyd 👍 I’m tempted with the Fenix. The strap and tightening system looks comfy. My cheap Petzl is great but the strap gets sore after a while....
Thanks Ben, really glad you enjoyed the review. It's a really solid unit and the strap system is great 👍
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's really appreciated 🙏
Yes Loyd one hundred and five pounds for a head torch does sound a lot, but we don't think twice about spending up to two hundred pounds for a pair of shoes. Hows your training going mate. The weather down in Suffolk is absolutely beautiful. I had a nice run around the woods near where i live it was gorgeous.
I totally agree Keith 😊
For what you get for £105 it's pretty good value when you compare it to the rest of the headtorch market. Training is go ok considering it wasn't that long ago since I sprained my ankle. I've managed to three 40 mile weeks and the ankle is feeling good! Hope you're fit and well and thanks for watching and supporting the channel 🙏
Very interesting brand! I use a Lupine Neo - but having seen both your videos on Fenix - very impressive 👌🤩
Both of their headtorches I've tested so far have really impressed me Roland. I'd personally still spend the extra and go for the HM65R-T, it's a brilliant headtorch 👌
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏
It looks like a good bargain for the price. Do you recommend any other that can be considered or should i go with this?
It's a really good headtorch for the money but it might be worth looking at the Nitecore UT27 👍
Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel 🙏😊
@@Run4Adventure haha, i went through your channel and bought the UT27 finally. 😄
It was my companion during a 130 km ultramarathon last weekend. Worth every penny. :)
@@feco1992 That's great to hear, I'm glad the UT27 worked out well for you 👍😊
These reviews are great. Is the weight between this and the other Fenix you reviewed noticable? Weight is an important factor for me. My current lamp is 5 oz and is too heavy to be comfortable. Thanks!
Thanks, really glad you've enjoyed the reviews. Yes its definitely noticeable, the HL18R-T is a lot lighter as you'd expect it to be because it's not as bright or as powerful. Both really good headtorches, the HM65R-T has become my go to headtorch for pretty much everything 👍
Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel 🙏
I've previously used a Hope Tech Vision R2.
Fantastic light, all be it a bit heavy.
Lost a bit of confidence in it though after it took a dump on me during a night race.
Hope we're Fantastic and fixed it immediately without quibble, but it's still in the back of my mind..
Hope make great lights but they're quite big units to wear on your head for long periods of time. That's good to hear that they sorted it out for you, always good when a company looks after its customers 😊
Thanks for watching 🙏
@@Run4Adventure agreed, Hope are fantastic lights and customer service is second to none, but definitely better for cycling.
Thanks for this great review! I’m torn between this and the BD Revolt 350… I’m not sure I need 500 Lumens and BD has more features as well as dual mode with spot and flood together. Price is the same too. Anyone else cross shop those two lamps or have thoughts on what they chose and why?
No problem Michael, I'm glad you enjoyed the video 😊
I personally would always go for the brighter headtorch. There's quite a bit of difference between 350 and 500 lumens. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏😊
@@Run4Adventure thanks! I actually picked up a Spot 400-R on sale last week. Doesn’t allow you to swap for AAA but it’s quite a bit lighter than either of those headlamps while still being very bright.
@@michaellopour7409
I always go for a headtorch where you can use AAA as well. It makes it a lot more versatile in longer races or on long training runs 👍
What's the difference between the hl18rt and the hl18rw?
I'm pretty sure it's just the strap system John. I think the light output and the burn time are very similar. Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel 🙏
@@Run4Adventure you're awesome!! Thanks for getting back to me
@@johnehoward No worries anytime 👍
Thanks for the Channel and the Very Good reviews. Very useful to me:)
I’m about to purchase a headtorch. Im not a trailrunner,, But running on Road, in the countryside with no street light.
So i Think the hl18r-t with is 500 lumens is enough power for me.
But im worried about how the beam is spreading? I Cannot use flood and spot at the same time, so wondering if i get a narrow tunnel light, if i only use spot, and i only Can see small area lit up. Either the area right in front of me, or area Way ahead, and then the area where im stepping is Black? Hope you understand ? :-)
Hi Alex I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I haven't had any issues with the light output on the HL18R-T and I've been using it on the trails. I'm sure it would be fine for some night time road running 👍
Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel 🙏
Your reviews are consistently thorough. Really appreciated. I'm a pre-dawn 1.5 hour runner and have found the Petzl Ico Core to be perfect. Check it out. A different approach to torch design.
Thanks really glad you're enjoying the channel 👍
I know the Petzl torch well, I stock the 500 lumens version in store 😊
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment it's appreciated 🙏
Didn’t cover what the body is made of? Plastic I’m guessing?
The body of the torch is made from plastic and aluminium to try and keep the weight down 👍
Hope this helps and thanks for watching the channel it's appreciated 🙏😊
you've done it again. I need to stop watching. or set up some sort of direct debit.
Nice one Jonathan! I'm really sorry but it is a very good compact headtorch 😉
Thanks for watching and supporting the channel its appreciated 🙏